17 September in Sports History

In this edition of the Sports Break, we cover the top events in sports history along with the players and athletes that were a part of them on September 17. As a bonus, we place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete as well.

Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling from some great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.

15 - 6 - 42 - 14 - 40 - 7 - 10 - 5 - 34 -16 - 44 - 16 - 13 - 25

September 17, 1906 - Playing as a man named "Sullivan," Columbia University junior, Eddie Collins debuted with the Philadelphia A's.

September 17, 1912 - Center fielder Casey Stengel breaks in with Brooklyn & hits 4 singles

September 17, 1917 - Pittsburgh baseball legend Honus Wagner, retired at the age of 43 years old, the Pirates inturn retired his Number 33 manager's jersey in 1956. "The Flying Dutchman" had won eight N.L. batting crowns - second only to Ty Cobb's 12 titles - during a 17-year stretch in which he batted over .300 in each season. 

September 17, 1920 - National Football League is born in Canton, Ohio; 12 teams pay $100 each to join American Professional Football Association; renamed the NFL in 1922

September 17, 1928 - Boston Braves pitcher Ray Boggs hits 3 batters in 1 inning during his 4th and final major league appearance, in 15-5 loss to Chicago Cubs

September 17, 1931 - Red Sox Earl Webb, Number 15 set a record with 65 two basers en route to 67 doubles

September 17, 1941 - St Louis Cardinals' Stan Musial, Number 6 made his major league debut, going 2-for-4

September 17, 1947 - Jackie Robinson, Number 42 was named Rookie of Year by Sporting News

September 17, 1953 - Ernie Banks, Number 14 became the Chicago Cubs orgainization's first black player

September 17, 1955 - Future MLB Hall of Famer Baltimore Oriole Number 40 Brooks Robinson goes 2-4 in his 1st game

September 17, 1956 - The New York Yankees clinched the organizations 22nd pennant off of Number 7, Mickey Mantle's 50th homer of year

September 17, 1961 - Minnesota's Fran Tarkenton, Number 10 played his first NFL Game against the Chicago Bears, coming off the bench to lead the Vikings to a 37-13 victory, also becoming the only QB to throw four touchdown passes in his first career game

September 17, 1964 - New York Yankee Mickey Mantle, Number 7 gets career hits #1999, 2000 & 2001 & his 450th HR in 6-2 victory over Los Angeles Angels at New York

September 17, 1979 - The Kansas City Royals' Number 5, George Brett became the 6th MLB player to have 20 doubles/triples/HRs in a season

September 17, 1981 - Fernando Valenzuela, Number 34 of the LA Dodgers set a NL rookie record with 8th shutout of season

September 17, 1984 - Dwight Gooden, Number 16 tied a record of 32 strikeouts in consecutive games

September 17, 1984 - California Angels slugger Reggie Jackson, Number 44 became just the 13th MLB player to hit 500 HRs

September 17, 1996 - LA Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, Number 16 tossed a beautiful no-hit performance against the Colorado Rockies, 9-0 at Coors Field

September 17, 2000 - Dan Marino's Number 13 jersey was retired by his former team, the Miami Dolphins

September 17, 2004 - San Francosco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds, Number 25 hit his 700th career MLB home run, off San Diego's Number 44, Jake Peavy

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com.

Banner photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons of Casey Stengel, Brooklyn NL baseball from the LOC 14360628005 circa 1916 published by the Bain News Service.